Step 9: Configure the Software

Step 10: Enjoy

That's it! Just place your bowl where you want it, start the script, and start receiving warning tweets from your bowl. I hope you enjoy. P.S. I'd li...

Have you ever walked past your pet’s water or food bowl and see it empty; only to wonder how long your pets have been without water? Here’s my take on a solution to this problem: a bowl that tweets when it is empty or low on contents. It’s a simple build and should be adaptable to any bowl you choose. And best of all, it’s wireless!

My hope in writing this instructable is that you can, of course, make your own tweeting pet bowl, but also that this can be used as a reference. That being said, this is my first instructable, so I appreciate any feedback that would help make future instructables better.

Software
We'll be using Python for this project so you'll need to have it installed on the computer you plan to hook up the receiver to. If you don't already have Python and/or the other dependencies installed, don't worry: I will cover how to install Python later in the instructable.

Skills
All you really need are some basic soldering skills and a little patience.

Step 2: Build the XBee Adapters

We’re using XBee adapters from adafruit.com. There are extremely detailed instructions on ladyada’s website, so I’ll just put a link to it here .

This is so cool! I have two wonderful dogs at home and I get so upset when I pass by their water bowl and see it empty! This would be very useful for me! And it's wireless which makes it really convenient! Thank you for this! I really think this should be the winner!

About This Instructable

Bio:A materials scientist gone electrical engineer my hobbies include experimenting with electronics and making fun and interesting things. I rarely know what I'm doing when I start a project, but learnin...read more »